


The Bone-Faced Wolf

by Nicxan



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Gender-neutral Reader, Other, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:09:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicxan/pseuds/Nicxan
Summary: Papa II isolates you in a secondary ministry building and won't explain why. He's oddly snappy and snarly. What's going on?
Relationships: Papa Emeritus I/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	The Bone-Faced Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Initially written for Banned Together Bingo. The prompt was 'Werewolfism'. 
> 
> Massive thanks to CaptainAddict, bloody_vixen, and sorinshuto [tumblr] for helping me out with this! An extra thanks to SpringLockedFoxy for looking it over before I posted it. Y'all are great!
> 
> The reader is gender neutral. 
> 
> Enjoy!

There was nothing quite like dusk. You always felt the most relaxed during this time -- when the sun dipped under the horizon, your cares went away with it. The beautiful hues of orange and purple blended in beautifully with the darker blue skies, and the hint of stars only made it that much more breathtaking to you. It was a full moon tonight, too -- an excuse to stay outside for hours and hours, just to admire nature’s beauty.  
  
Tonight, however, was not relaxing. It was the opposite, actually. Instead of watching the sky like you _should_ be, Papa II was dragging you down a hallway. That would ruin any sort of peaceful night.  
  
You tried to fight against his firm grip on your wrist. Any attempt to dig your heels into the tile was basically fruitless -- there wasn’t any traction for you. It didn’t mean you’d go quietly, though. You thrashed and stumbled with almost every step, desperate to at least have him let up.  
  
Papa II only gripped you tighter -- so much so that it almost hurt.  
  
“Where are you taking me!?” you asked. You didn’t mean to sound so frantic, but you’d cut yourself some slack. Anyone would be a bit panicky when being dragged to an unknown place with no explanation.  
  
“Quiet,” Papa II snapped. You’d heard of his temper before, but you hadn’t ever heard him growl quite like this before. It almost scared you to silence, but another surge of rage quickly changed that.  
  
“Hey, I’m not some random dumbass, I’m your brother’s partner! Now -- let me --” You tugged again and tried to slip your hand away from him. No dice. “-- _go_! He’s going to be pissed if he hears about this!”  
  
“I’m doing this _because_ you’re his partner. He’ll thank me later.”  
  
Papa II flung open the closest door and continued to drag you along. He managed to pull you through just before it shut; the resulting slam nearly made you jump out of your skin. It echoed down the covered walkway, out to each side of the courtyard. Your Papa’s gardens could be seen off in the distance, as vibrant and beautiful as ever.  
  
Wait -- why had he taken you out this far? You had no reason to be in the second building -- almost no Sibling did. You tried to tug away again in a less-blind panic. Last you checked, you couldn’t exactly _be here_ without permission.  
  
“I’m not allowed --”  
  
“I give you clearance. Now stop squirming.”  
  
You couldn’t argue with that. You huffed in annoyance and eventually resigned yourself to being dragged to Lucifer-knows-where. Papa II pulled open the door on the other side, ushered you in, and slammed it behind him.  
  
Your eyes adjusted to your new surroundings quickly.  
  
This place looked older. You wouldn’t say _decrepit,_ but it definitely wasn’t updated like the main ministry building was. The setting sun’s rays shone in through the old stained glass windows, illuminating every little nook and cranny that hadn’t been cleaned in the past few weeks. A few of the stones were chipped; they hadn’t even bothered to replace them. What was this building for, if not for the Siblings of Sin? Was it for the ghouls? The Papas?  
  
Was it for rituals?  
  
The curiosity was burning you alive, but you knew to not even bother to ask any questions. Papa II wouldn’t give you answers. He hadn’t before, and he wasn’t going to start now. You grumbled under your breath as he pulled you along, down a long, empty hallway. Identical doors lined both sides of it, each one looking ominous and imposing.  
  
The two of you only stopped at the end of the hall, near the last possible door. Papa II opened it and threw you forward, causing you to stumble and nearly fall. By the time you could catch your bearings, he had already shut it again.  
  
“You need to stay here tonight,” he barked through the door. Was he angry? He certainly sounded snarly enough for it. “Don’t go anywhere.”  
  
You opened your mouth to protest, but he had already started walking off. His footsteps could be heard for an unbearably long amount of time, but eventually, they faded off. All you could do was stare in initial shock and confusion.  
  
... What the fuck had just happened?  
  
A valid question, to be sure. But seeing as how there was no way you’d be getting an answer for it, it was probably best to figure out where you were taken. You sighed heavily and looked up to see where you were going to be sleeping for the night.  
  
The only light was from the nearly-set sun and the little lamp on the table near the bed. The sheets looked ... old, for lack of a better word. Black, and most likely scratchy. The pillows hadn’t been fluffed in ages.  
  
Maybe these were ghoul quarters? No, surely they were treated better than that.  
  
You took a few steps forward, scanning the rest of the room in disbelief. There were hardly any decorations -- there was only a wooden table, a pitiful bookshelf with three books, and an old, worn rug. They were all knocked askew. Claw marks etched the stone beneath your feet, illuminated by the last rays of the sun.  
  
It _was_ ghoul chambers. Had to be. But if it wasn’t being used, then maybe they had better accommodations now? You couldn’t help a tiny shiver at the idea of one of your friends sleeping here every night.  
  
Not like you had much of a choice in the matter, though. You sighed, kicked off your shoes, and then flopped on the bed. The sheets were just as scratchy as you thought they were, much to your misery.

Better make yourself comfortable. 

* * *

Night fell a long time ago. The crickets chirped outside and the familiar owls hooted and sang their songs, flying about freely. The pathetic little lamp barely lit anything; the dim glow was barely enough for your bed, never mind the entire room. It looked gloomy and bleak -- suffocating.  
  
It probably hadn’t even been more than four hours, but you were about to go insane. You had given up on reading those books when you saw how many claw marks had ripped up the pages. There were only so many minutes where you could just stare out the window at an empty courtyard; you couldn’t even see the stars from where you were. You didn’t even have claws to mess up the bookshelf even further -- what a kick in the teeth.  
  
Sure, you could just go to bed, but you were a night owl. That’s part of how you and Papa I bonded -- those late night strolls through the garden. The smiles, the laughter, the way his hand would always brush against yours ...  
  
...  
  
Surely Papa II wouldn’t mind you going through the garden, would he? It was close enough, and you could rush back inside this building if you needed to. Besides, it’s not like you’d be indecent; he hadn’t given you any nightclothes. _‘He really didn’t plan any of this out too well. I don’t think he even locked me in here.’_  
  
You almost laughed, but managed to hold it back. He might’ve had the foresight to station a ghoul or two at the door to make sure you couldn’t get out. Best not to act weird or suspicious, at least for now.  
  
“Hello?” you called out.  
  
No response.  
  
“Look, any way I can at least get some food if I’m going to be in here all night?” Lucifer below you were ready to shake Papa II, consequences be damned. “It’d be appreciated.”  
  
Still nothing.  
  
You dared to have hope. Maybe he hadn’t stationed ghouls. Maybe you were just bound to the soon-to-be-broken honor system. Your hand gingerly grasped the doorknob and a part of you was shocked that it didn’t spontaneously catch on fire just to keep you in here.  
  
It opened effortlessly, and the old, wooden door creaked loudly as you opened it. You froze, but relaxed once you saw that familiar empty hallway. No one was here. You still kept your steps light when you rushed back to the entrance, just in case.  
  
You were still alone when you stepped outside into the walkway. You took a deep breath, savoring the fresh, non-stuffy air. What a _difference._ Hell, you’d just sleep out here hidden in the bushes! Anything was better than that musty old room. You didn’t even care that the full moon was your only light out here -- it just added to the serene atmosphere.  
  
You knew where your Papa’s gardens were by heart. You veered left and rushed out onto the grass, savoring the way it tickled your toes, how it felt on your bare skin. Blissful.  
  
You were so lost in that bliss, in fact, that you didn’t immediately notice the hulking figure that stood ahead of you.  
  
Wait. What?  
  
You stopped in your tracks. Whatever this thing was, it was huge -- there was no denying that. Even with it being pitch black out here, you could see it towering over the grass. It didn’t seem human, either. Its arms were strangely shaped and a bit too thick for that.  
  
The worst part was? It was hovering over your Papa’s garden. That wouldn’t stand.  
  
“Hey!” You had called out before you could really stop yourself. No point in being quiet now. You stormed towards it, trembling hands clenched into fists. “What are you doing near Papa’s garden!?”  
  
The figure seemed to perk up at your voice and turned, ears ... oh. It had ears on the top of its head, and they were flattened. That wasn’t a good sign, right? The closer you got, the more you could see.  
  
And none of what you saw was good.  
  
Your eyes had adjusted to the dark -- now you could make out little details. You could officially confirm that this thing wasn’t human and that it towered over you. It was covered in pitch black fur from head to toe. The fur itself appeared to be splattered in red markings; you could only assume that it was blood. Was this ... some sort of wolf? A _humanoid_ wolf?  
  
Your knees trembled as you slowly looked up, its bright white eyes locking with yours. The wolf’s lips curled back into a snarl, revealing sharp, pointy canines that you’d rather not have anywhere near you.  
  
Once you could pull your horrified stare away from the teeth, you noticed the bone that jut out from its face. It started from beneath its fur -- you could tell by the way it protruded out. The bones covered the side of its face, surrounded the area around its eyes, and ... were they broken over the lips? That was strange. Strange, but it meant that this thing could bite you.  
  
You took a nervous step back, now fully realizing what deep shit you were in. If nothing else, it forgot about the garden. There was that much.  
  
“H-Hey, uh ... um ...” Any word you tried to say died on the tip of your tongue. Fear tugged at you -- every instinct screamed to run, but you knew better. If you ran, it’d give chase. There would be no way that you could outrun it.  
  
It took steps closer towards you, sniffing the air around you as if to learn your scent. Great! Now you had even fewer reasons to run. Even if you got away, it’d find you. Much to your shock, though, it didn’t seem to be snarling anymore. Nor did it have its claws out towards you. Instead, it just looked ... relaxed? Why relaxed?  
  
The wolf let out a soft, content little whine and shambled up towards you. Its tail was wagging, thumping against the ground every now and again. It got closer ... closer ...  
  
... then flopped on the ground in front of you with another happy whine.  
  
_‘What the hell?’_ You watched in stunned silence at this formerly extremely threatening wolf. It was acting like a puppy now. That was one hell of a change compared to just one minute ago. What was even happening?  
  
Wait ...  
  
You crouched next to the wolf and squinted. The pattern of the bone plates looked familiar, now that you looked closely. It almost looked like your Papa’s old makeup from when he was the figurehead of the ministry. The eye plates were uneven, too, just like the makeup. One white eye was brighter than the other -- the left one, to be exact.  
  
“... Papa?” you asked hesitantly.  
  
Another happy yip confirmed your suspicions.  
  
You hesitated before reaching out, gently brushing your fingers against Papa’s fur. He leaned into your touch and you could hear his tail thumping against the ground over and over. He nuzzled into your hand, clearly angling for more pets and scritches -- your heart melted at the sight.  
  
Everything suddenly made sense. Papa II’s panicked behavior on such a beautiful night. You being hidden away. Why it happened on a full moon of all nights. You’d only been dating for about a month, after all. It’s no wonder that this hadn’t come up before.  
  
You let out a sigh of irritation, then began scritching Papa I in earnest. He wiggled underneath your attentions. You tried to ignore the ripped fabric of what undoubtedly used to be a shirt.  
  
“Wish your brother explained things better.” Papa I’s ears perked up, then he let out a huff of what you assumed was annoyance. “He just threw me into an old room in that second building and told me to stay there.”  
  
That huff was definitely a sign of annoyance. You could tell because he did it again right after. Instead of rushing off to confront him, though, Papa I just rested his head on your lap and curled up around you.  
  
“Looks like I’m not moving for a while.”  
  
You’re not sure if the sound Papa I made was a laugh or not, but considering how he intentionally rested a paw on your thigh, he most likely was making a point. No, you weren’t going anywhere. Not if he had anything to say about it.  
  
Your eyes slowly slid shut and you sighed contentedly.  
  
It wasn’t like you wanted to go anywhere, anyways. He was so warm and comfortable; you could almost fall asleep like this. Falling asleep sitting up. What a world.  
  
You’re not sure exactly when you fell asleep, but knowing that Papa I was by your side made it really easy to not care. 

* * *

_“I cannot believe you just threw them in my old room like that! The least you could have done was explain what was happening --”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“You know how hard it is for me to fight against the damn shift. I was doing you both a favor!”_  
  
The arguing roused you from sleep. The first thing you noticed was the bright fluorescent lights, a sharp contrast from where you fell asleep. You furrowed your eyebrows, desperately trying to block it out, but eventually gave up.  
  
The arguing stopped when you sat up. You blinked a couple of times, then fully opened your eyes.  
  
You were in the medical wing. Why, you had no idea -- you felt perfectly fine. Papa I and Papa II stood before you. Papa II looked annoyed, but Papa I only looked worried. It broke your heart to see the fear in his eyes.  
  
“ _Tesoro_ ,” Papa I whispered shakily. “Are you all right?”  
  
“I’m fine,” you responded. “Why? Did something happen?”  
  
Papa I flinched, then averted his gaze away from you. Fear started to gnaw at you -- was there something you had forgotten? It seemed to go fine last night. All you did was fall asleep next to each other, right? Or was that just a weird, vivid dream?  
  
“I worried that I bit you,” he admitted. “I had them examine you for bite marks, but you seem to be fine. I just -- I wanted to be sure.”  
  
“If you had stayed in the room like I told you to --”  
  
You cut Papa II off quickly. “I didn’t think it was about this! If you had explained anything, I would’ve stayed put!”  
  
Papa II winced at this, but only grumbled in response. He might be an argumentative bastard, but he knows when he’s wrong, at least. You looked back to your boyfriend and smiled softly in an attempt to reassure him.  
  
“I’m fine, really. You were pretty cute, actually.”  
  
You’re not sure you’d ever seen Papa I look embarrassed before. He blushed deeply and fidgeted with his scarf for a few moments, muttering incomprehensibly. You’re pretty sure you heard something like ‘I am not cute’, but you couldn’t be sure.  
  
“Well, if that’s all settled, then I have things to do.” Papa II nodded at the both of you, then turned on his heel and strode out of the medical wing. His strides were much more measured than before, and instead of slamming the door, he merely just closed it behind him.  
  
You and Papa I glanced at each other.  
  
“So ... he’s a werewolf too?”  
  
“Yes, he is,” Papa I said. He took a seat in the chair at your bedside and held out his hand. You took it, linking your fingers with his, and squeezing gently. He felt like him again -- not a wolf, but the Papa you knew.  
  
“That explains a lot.”  
  
“Had he done what I asked him to and talked to you earlier, you would not have been put in that position. I am terribly sorry.”  
  
“Apology accepted.”  
  
The two of you went quiet, simply enjoying each other’s company. You had plenty of questions -- when did this start? How long had he struggled with it? Were there measures in place so he could protect himself? What about his brother? Did Papa III struggle with this too?  
  
Then, there was you. What would you do for every full moon? How could you help? Would you have to spend each full moon apart, or would it always be like last night?  
  
You knew that Papa I would give you answers to all of this. But he looked so tired with the bags underneath his eyes. His exhausted, relieved smile betrayed just how restless he had been the night before. Surely he didn’t get enough sleep. You couldn’t bear to pepper him with questions that could wait for tomorrow.  
  
“Can I stay with you tonight?” you asked instead.  
  
“Of course, my dear. In fact, we can go to my room as soon as they release you. It should not be long.” He rubbed his thumb along your knuckles, then leaned down to kiss the back of your hand. “I would like nothing more.”  
  
“That’d be nice.”  
  
A sense of safety washed over you and you finally let yourself relax.  
  
Your Papa would protect you and look after you. You knew that to be true, even with this werewolf traits he had. In turn, you’d do the same for him, no matter what.


End file.
